


welcome home

by Spikedluv



Category: Shelter (2007)
Genre: Community: trope_bingo, M/M, Road Trips
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-01
Updated: 2017-10-01
Packaged: 2019-01-06 22:18:28
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,001
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12220080
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Spikedluv/pseuds/Spikedluv
Summary: The plan is for Zach and Shaun to have a romantic road trip while Cody spends a week with Jeanne.  Things don’t work out quite the way they planned, but maybe it's better that way.





	welcome home

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for Tjs_whatnot for taking me up on my Trope Bingo Challenge! We agreed to write _Road Trip_ for Shelter, with a deadline of Oct 1 and a 5,000 word limit. (According to WP, this fic comes in at 5,000 words exactly.)
> 
> Written for Round 9 of [Trope Bingo on DW](http://trope_bingo.dreamwidth.org) to fill the _Road Trip_ square.
> 
> Posted: October 1, 2017

Aside from a trip to Florida, and the time he’d gone to Mexico with Shaun’s parents, Zach had never been on vacation. His belly had fluttered with nerves and excitement when Shaun proposed that they take some time for themselves while Cody spent a week with Jeanne in Portland.

The week before they left Zach put in extra hours at the art store where he worked, made lists of everything they’d need to take with them, helped to pack his and Cody’s bags, as well as getting everything packed into the new-to-them 2006 Subaru Forester for which they’d traded in Shaun’s Volvo and Zach’s Blazer.

Being too busy to take a breath did little to take Zach’s mind off the fact that they were leaving Cody with Jeanne for a week, but Cody was excited to see her again and so Zach tried to be excited _for_ him. Cody loved both Zach and Shaun, but he still missed his mom. Talking to her on the phone once a week (when Jeanne didn’t forget) was good, but it wasn’t enough.

Cody had them both up early enough Saturday morning that he was able to persuade Shaun to make them pancakes for breakfast. (Not that it took much convincing.) Zach did the dishes, threw together sandwiches for lunch, and packed the cooler while Shaun got Cody dressed and made sure he’d packed his favorite stuffed animals, games, and blanket into his backpack, which would ride in the backseat with him for the fourteen plus hour trip to Portland.

Shaun took the first leg of the drive. Zach fell asleep almost as soon as Shaun pulled onto the I-5, lulled by the motion of the Forester and the hum of the tires on the asphalt and Cody’s voice from the backseat as he asked Shaun the same million questions about Portland he’d been asking since they’d told him about the trip.

Zach woke up when the car slowed as Shaun pulled off the highway into a rest stop. The three of them trooped into the men’s room. Zach felt a little bit more awake when he’d splashed his face with cold water after washing his hands. He ran wet fingers through his hair and wiped his hands on the seat of his jeans.

Cody was hungry again, so Shaun retrieved a Kashi granola bar and a CapriSun juice box from the cooler. Zach smiled when Shaun handed him a juice box, too, and was still smiling when Shaun gave him a strawberry-kiwi-flavored kiss.

When they were back on the road they played Road Trip Bingo, the License Plate Game, and Spot the Car. They stopped for lunch at a scenic pull-off. Cody had a ham and Nutella sandwich (a combination that made Zach shudder each time he made it), while he and Shaun had ‘boring’ (according to Cody) ham and swiss. They shared a bag of chips and drank more of Cody’s juice boxes. Dessert was a handful of sugar cookies Shaun and Cody had baked and decorated for the trip.

“I did that one,” Cody said, pointing out a cookie that had been frosted with a heavy hand and decorated with a colored sugar smiley face.

“It’s awesome, Codester!” Zach said. He took a photo of the cookie with his phone before taking a huge bite out of it.

Zach took over driving duties when they got back on the road. Cody picked out a movie and Shaun set up the portable DVD player. Thankfully Cody used the earphones because Zach didn’t want to have to listen to ‘Ice Age’ one more time. They stopped for one more potty break before they reached Redding, CA.

Zach waited in the Forester with Cody while Shaun went inside the motel to register. They’d gotten a room with a king-sized bed and didn’t bother with a cot for Cody, who would probably want to sleep in the bed with Zach and Shaun in a strange place anyway.

Zach moved the Forester to a spot outside their room when Shaun came out of the office with the key. They carried in their bags and used the bathroom before heading right out again. Shaun had done most of the legwork to come up with their itinerary, and they both thought Cody would enjoy the Schreder Planetarium and the Mythic Creatures exhibit at Turtle Bay Exploration Park.

Cody loved the Mythic Creatures exhibit so much that they didn’t have time for the Planetarium, but he did get to build his own dragon, so he was satisfied. They got dinner at Famous Dave’s BBQ, after which they headed to Enterprise Park to walk off their meal and spend some time at the playground. On the way back to their car they stopped at Razzlicious for some frozen yogurt. By the time they made it back to the motel, Cody was asleep.

~*~

They arrived in Portland earlier than anticipated. Cody had them awake before the alarm again, and after breakfast at Country Kitchen they were back on the road. Zach took the first leg because Shaun was better at navigating city roads and traffic. They’d agreed to meet Jeanne at the playground at Mt. Tabor Park so that Cody had something to keep him busy while they waited for Jeanne to arrive. Between their being early and Jeanne being late, Zach was glad they had.

Shaun saw Jeanne approaching across the park first. He nudged Zach, then took over pushing Cody on the swing so Zach could go greet her. Zach still had a lot of issues about the way Jeanne had dropped Cody on him without a thought for either Cody or Zach, but his eyes burned at the sight of her. They hugged, and Jeanne held Zach as tight as he was holding her.

“You look good,” Jeanne said. She reached up and brushed hair off Zach’s forehead. “You let your hair grow.”

Zach blushed. He hated the way his hair fell onto his forehead now and he had to keep pushing it back, but he loved the way Shaun tugged on it when they kissed (and did other things), so he was loathe to cut it short again.

“You look good, too,” Zach said. It wasn’t a polite fiction; Jeanne _did_ look good. Even though she was only a couple years older than Zach, she’d started to look old, worn, in San Pedro. “Portland agrees with you.”

“I love it here, Zach,” Jeanne said with feeling. “It’s been good for me.”

Jeanne looked like she wanted to say more, but before she could Cody spotted her and called out, “Mom!”

Jeanne’s gaze went to Cody and she smiled. It had been a long time since Zach had seen her smile at Cody that way; as if he was someone she wanted around instead of a responsibility she wasn’t ready for. Jeanne bent down and swept Cody up in her arms when he reached her. She didn’t even complain when he hugged her with hands dirty from the jungle gym.

Zach’s heart seized at the thought that Jeanne might be ready to be a mom to Cody now, and he had to force himself to smile at Shaun. Of course Shaun noticed that something was wrong. Shaun didn’t say anything, but he took Zach’s hand and squeezed it.

“Hello, Jeanne,” Shaun said.

“Hi, Shaun.”

Jeanne and Shaun would probably never be friends, but they’d managed to be polite to each other whenever she called to speak with Cody. Zach appreciated that; for Cody’s sake, if not for his own.

They talked briefly about the logistics of Cody’s week with Jeanne and Alan and transferred Cody’s bag, backpack and car seat to her car. Cody gave Zach and Shaun hugs goodbye. Zach promised to call every evening and had to force himself to release Cody.

Shaun slipped an arm around Zach’s shoulders as they stood and watched Jeanne and Cody drive away. Zach waved until he couldn’t see the car anymore. He dropped his hand and let his head fall onto Shaun’s shoulder.

“It’s just a week,” Shaun said, though his voice sounded suspiciously rough around the reassurance.

“I know.” But inside he wondered if it was the beginning of the end.

~*~

Zach and Shaun got back into the Forester and drove the one-and-a-half hour from Portland to Cannon Beach where they were going to begin their own vacation: a short surfing road trip along the Oregon coast that would end in Newport, where they’d circle around and head back to Portland to pick up Cody.

They checked into Land’s End at Cannon Beach and carried in their bags. They’d gotten an ocean view studio for their three nights there. The room had a fireplace that they probably wouldn’t need in the summer, and a balcony with a view of the ocean.

When Zach came out of the bathroom, Shaun was sitting on the edge of the bed, leaning back on his hands, and looking right at Zach with an intensity that made Zach feel self-conscious.

“What?” Zach said.

Shaun lifted one hand off the mattress and curled his index finger at Zach in a ‘come here’ motion. Zach’s cheeks went hot and he giggled with an unexpected bout of nerves. Between Zach’s hours at the art shop the past week and Cody sharing their bed last night, it had been a while since they’d done anything more than kiss or give each other rushed hand jobs.

“I haven’t showered in two days,” Zach said in warning.

“Don’t care,” Shaun said. “I’m gonna get you a whole lot dirtier, anyway.”

Zach’s belly did a little flip and he laughed. “You have such a way with words.”

“I’m a writer,” Shaun said with faux modesty.

Zach crossed the short distance to the bed. He put one knee on the mattress and pushed Shaun backwards as he brought his other leg up to straddle Shaun’s legs. Shaun grinned and let himself fall back. His hands came up to curl around Zach’s hips and slide up his sides.

Zach lowered his head and kissed Shaun. This close Shaun smelled faintly of the cologne he’d put on two days ago, and he tasted like the coffee they’d stopped for before getting back on the highway in Portland.

Shaun’s arms went around Zach’s back as he returned the kiss. He pulled Zach down on top of him. Zach groaned into the kiss when his swelling cock came into contact with Shaun’s hip. He reflexively ground down into the groove between Shaun’s leg and groin.

One of Shaun’s hands moved down to squeeze Zach’s ass and pull him in closer. Shaun rolled them and pulled down Zach’s shorts without unfastening them. Zach lifted his torso off the bed and dragged his tank top over his head. He tossed the tank aside and reached for the hem of Shaun’s shirt. Once they were naked they came back together.

They kissed again; it started out hot and quickly grew more hungry as they moved against each other. Zach threw his leg over both of Shaun’s and made a pleading sound into the kiss. Shaun slid his hand up the back of Zach’s thigh, his thumb stroking the crease beneath Zach’s ass cheek before slipping between them.

Shaun teased the pad of his thumb in light circles over Zach’s hole. Zach rocked back desperately and mewled into Shaun’s mouth. Shaun pressed until Zach’s hole stretched around the tip of his dry thumb.

“I should get the lube,” Shaun said.

Zach shook his head. “No, I’m too close. Just your finger.”

“Are you sure?” Shaun said.

“So sure,” Zach said, drawing out the ‘so’.

Shaun pressed his finger against Zach’s lips. Zach kept his eyes on Shaun’s as he sucked on the finger, making sure to get it nice and wet. He had to close his eyes when Shaun slowly pressed the finger all the way inside him. Zach panted for breath as Shaun moved his finger out and in, their hips still grinding against one another.

Zach shuddered when Shaun found his prostate and rubbed the nub. Shaun stopped just when the heat pooled in Zach’s belly began to spread out. Zach whined in protest.

“What do you need?” Shaun said. An offer, a challenge.

“Touch me there again,” Zach said quickly, knowing that Shaun could hold out longer than he could if it came down to it, and Zach needed Shaun’s finger back on him now.

Zach gasped when Shaun’s finger found the nub again. Zach’s body was wracked with little shocks and his hips lost whatever rhythm they’d still retained as his orgasm crested, broke.

~*~

Shaun had made reservations at the Wayfarer Restaurant and Lounge. They were seated on the deck, which had a lovely view of the ocean and the Haystack. They took their time eating and still made it back to back to their room in time to watch the sunset over the water from their balcony.

Shaun pressed Zach against the railing and kissed him as the last rays of the sunlight disappeared. They made love with the balcony door open, the breeze off the ocean cooling their heated skin.

They were up early the next morning to go surfing. In deference to the colder water off the Oregon coast, they’d packed their wetsuits, including a hood and booties, which they didn’t need in LA. The cold water was bracing, but they had fun warming each other up in the shower afterwards.

Zach thought of Cody when they were eating breakfast at the Pig ‘N Pancake. He would’ve loved it there. They wandered downtown and checked out the gift shops. Shaun encouraged Zach to check out each art gallery they came across, of which there were a surprising number in Cannon Beach. In turn Zach made sure they stepped inside every bookstore.

They spent too much time at Voyages Toys, Comics, & Games, but pretended it was because they were looking for the perfect gift for Cody. They returned to their room to take a nap, which led to more sex, which in turn led to an actual nap.

They got a late lunch before heading out for a walk on the beach, which included a close-up view of the Haystack, and the birds and the marine life that made it their home. They held hands, uncaring of who saw them. Shaun suggested that they stop in at Cannon Beach Surf to check out their inventory and they ended up renting two stand up paddle boards.

After another shower to warm up and wash off the sand, Zach and Shaun ended up on the bed again. Shaun made a joke about Zach getting sick of him at this rate, but these moments when it was just the two of them, when they could touch and kiss and make love whenever the mood struck, reminded him of last summer when they were just falling in love and spending every free moment together.

They drove up the coast to Indian Beach the next morning. The views in Ecola State Park were spectacular, so after a shower and breakfast they packed a picnic lunch and returned to walk the trails and enjoy the sights, from the sea stacks to the now-abandoned Tillamook Rock Lighthouse.

On their third morning they drove down to Short Sands in Oswald State Park. When they got out of the shower there was a missed call from Jeanne on Zach’s phone. Zach listened to the voice mail, expecting it to be Cody. It was Jeanne, and Zach grew more angry with each word as she asked him and Shaun to come back to Portland to pick up Cody.

Zach played the message again for Shaun, who didn’t even try to calm Zach down. Either because he knew it was futile, or because he was also angry at Jeanne.

“What’s going on, Jeannie?” Zach said when Jeanne answered his return call.

“Cody can’t stay here, Zach,” Jeanne said. “He and Alan aren’t getting along, and I . . .”

“You what?” Zach said unsympathetically. “Don’t want to rock the boat?”

“I can’t deal with him,” Jeanne said.

Zach ended the call after they made plans to meet at the same playground where they’d dropped Cody off. He threw the phone onto the bed.

“I should’ve known,” Zach said as they repacked their bags for the drive to Portland instead of down to Newport. “I did know, but there was nothing I could do about it.”

Shaun took the wheel when they got in the Forester. Zach didn’t object; he was too wound up to drive. Shaun let Zach seethe and rant for the first half hour, but then he said, “So what do you want to do?”

“What?” Zach said.

“We’ve still got a couple days before we need to head back. Let’s not cut our, or Cody’s, vacation short.”

“I . . . didn’t even think of that,” Zach said. “I was so mad at Jeannie for doing this to Cody.”

“I know.” Shaun reached over and took Zach’s hand. “We can try to make it up to him.”

Zach squeezed Shaun’s hand. “Yes.” He took a deep breath and let go of his anger. For now. “Okay, so, we’re gonna be in Portland. Should we stay there, or . . . ?”

“I’ve been doing some thinking while you were fuming,” Shaun said cautiously.

Zach snorted. “Of course you have. What’s your idea?”

“Why don’t we head back to Cannon Beach with Cody, taking him surfing tomorrow. We didn’t bring his board, but we could rent one, and a wet suit. Also, there’s an aquarium in Seaside, and a promenade, he’d like that. On Friday we could head down to Newport, do some sightseeing along the coast. On the plus side, we won’t have to drive to Portland before we start the trip back on Saturday.”

“You’d be willing to do that?” Zach said.

“Of course,” Shaun said. “I mean, it’s our vacation, too. I’d hate to just head back because of Jeanne.”

“Cody would like that, I think.”

“He’d love it,” Shaun said.

Shaun pulled off the highway so Zach could take over driving while he made phone calls. By the time they reached Portland everything was set. They couldn’t get another room at Land’s End, nor at any other place that was right on the beach, but since they wouldn’t be spending much time in their room that was fine. Shaun had also called the Agate Beach Motel to change their reservation from three nights to one.

~*~

Jeanne was sitting on a bench watching Cody climb the ladder to the slide. Zach ignored her and went over to Cody, who hadn’t seen them yet. He waited until Cody had reached the bottom of the slide before calling out, “Codester!”

Cody looked surprised to see them. “Zach! Shaun!” He raced towards them.

“Hey, buddy,” Shaun said.

Zach went to his knees to catch Cody up in a hug. “I missed you so much!”

“We talked every day,” Cody said.

“I know, but I’m not used to being away from you for so long.”

Cody gave Shaun a hug next. “I missed you guys, too.”

“Cody,” Zach began, but he didn’t know how to finish it.

“Hey, buddy,” Shaun said. “Would you mind spending some time with us on this vacation?”

“You really missed me that much?” Cody said.

“We really did,” Zach said.

“Okay, I guess that would be alright.”

“Awesome!” Shaun said. He held his hand up and Cody high-fived him. “Why don’t we go play on the monkey bars while Zach talks to your mom about that?”

“Okay!” Cody agreed. He ran back over to the playground and Shaun gave Zach a look before following him.

Zach took a deep breath before turning to face Jeanne. She’d risen to her feet, but remained standing near the bench. Zach walked over to her, wanting to be as far away from Cody as possible for this conversation.

“What the hell, Jeannie?” Zach said as soon as he was near enough to her.

“Look, Zach, I’m sorry I ruined your vacation . . .”

“I’m not worried about that! I’m worried about Cody, and the fact that he was looking forward to spending this week with you. And you couldn’t even handle three days?”

“I’m not used to having him around,” Jeanne said.

“Whose fault is that?” Zach hissed.

“Cody and Alan don’t get along,” Jeanne tried again.

“Cody is six years old,” Zach said. “Alan is supposed to be the adult here.”

“I’m pregnant.”

Zach’s tongue stopped working. He managed to say, “What?”

“Alan’s happy about it, so I thought . . .”

“You thought that he might have softened towards Cody,” Zach said. “But apparently he only likes kids when they’re his.”

“I’m sorry,” Jeanne said. “I thought it might work out . . .”

Zach ignored the pain in his chest at the thought that if it had worked out, then Jeanne would’ve taken Cody away from them. “You were going to take him back without talking to us about it?”

“He’d have had a brother or a sister here,” Jeanne said.

“And now he’s got nothing. We can’t keep doing this, Jeannie. I’m having papers drawn up. We need custody for things like school and doctor’s visits. And for stability. I’ll have them sent to you, and you’re going to sign them.”

“Zach . . .”

“You don’t want him because he makes your life too hard,” Zach said. “Well, we do want him even when things are hard.”

“I’ll sign the papers.”

“Good. Let’s get his stuff out of your car.” Zach ran over to let Shaun know that he and Jeanne were going to get Cody’s stuff.

“Shaun says we’re going surfing tomorrow!” Cody said.

“I don’t know,” Zach said. “You’d hate that, wouldn’t you?”

“No!” Cody said.

Cody wanted to help transfer his stuff to the Forester, so he and Shaun walked with them to the parking area. Shaun took Zach’s hand while Cody ran on ahead. Shaun gave Zach a look, and Zach nodded. They’d talked about it before, but Zach had been afraid that Jeanne would say no and so he hadn’t brought it up even though having custody of Cody would’ve made their lives so much easier. Now they just had to tell Cody.

Shaun carried the car seat and bag over to the Forester to give Zach and Cody time alone with Jeanne. Cody gave Jeanne a hug. Before she released him, she said, “I love you, Cody.”

“Love you, too, mom.”

Cody took his backpack and let Shaun help him into the car seat. Jeanne watched him. “I’m still his mother,” she said.

“You’ll always be his mother, Jeannie.”

Zach gave his sister a hug, let her squeeze him tight. “I love you, too, Zach.”

“I know,” Zach said. “I love you, too.”

~*~

“Did you ever make it to the zoo?” Zach asked Cody as they were pulling out of the park.

“No,” Cody said, trying to hide his disappointment.

“Hey, Shaun,” Zach said, “you wanna go see a baby elephant?”

“I’d love to see a baby elephant,” Shaun said. “I don’t know if Cody, does, though.”

“Yes, I do!”

Zach pulled up directions to Washington Park on his phone. They parked and rode the train into the Oregon Zoo proper. They got a map of the zoo and started out in the Great Northeast area which was right near the entrance. From there they went to the Arctic where they were just in time to watch a sea otter feeding.

Cody’s nose caught the scent of pizza as they were walking past Bearwalk Café in the Primate Forest. When he admitted that he’d only had a poptart for breakfast, Zach relented. He and Shaun had missed breakfast altogether, so they were actually hungry, too. Cody was in a hurry to get to the Elephant Lands, but Zach made him sit down to eat his slice of pizza because he’d seen the results when Cody tried to walk and eat.

The three of them spent a lot of time looking at the elephants before heading to the Africa area followed by the Discovery Zone. They got ice cream at one of the food carts before wandering back over to the Carousel, which Cody had spotted when they rode in on the train. They stopped at the Gift Shop on their way back to catch the train, where Cody got a stuffed replica of the new baby elephant, Samudra.

Cody fell asleep on the ride back to Cannon Beach. He woke up when they were near enough to hear and smell the ocean. All of them were a little bit tired from the drive and the emotional toll the day had taken, but Zach insisted they go for a walk on the beach instead of taking a nap so late in the day. After an early dinner they retired to the room and found a movie for Cody to watch.

The three of them snuggled together on one of the queen-sized beds. As much fun as Zach had spending time alone with Shaun, this felt right, the three of them together. He looked at Shaun over Cody’s head. Shaun was looking back at him. Zach smiled and tipped his head back against the arm Shaun draped around both of them.

They took Cody to the beginners beach the next morning. Despite the cold water, he had a blast. After a warm shower and breakfast, they headed for the Seaside Aquarium. They played mini-golf at the Captain Kid Amusement Park and, after lunch, visited Fort Clatsop, where they all learned something about the Lewis and Clark expedition.

It was a three hour drive to Newport, but they decided to go surfing one more time at Cannon Beach and left after breakfast. The drive along the coast was beautiful and they stopped a couple of times to bask in the view and take pictures.

They checked into their room and immediately went looking for food. Shaun led them to the Canyonway Restaurant and Bookstore. After lunch they visited The Wax Works and Oregon Coast Glassworks before getting back in the Forester to drive the short distance to Yaquina Head Lighthouse, which they’d passed on their way down the coast.

When they returned to Newport, Shaun took Cody down to the beach to build a sand castle while Zach headed to For ArtSake Gallery to check out some of the local art. Zach wandered back to the beach and watched Shaun and Cody together. He didn’t know how he’d gotten so lucky to find someone who loved both him and Cody so much.

Shaun glanced up and saw Zach watching them. He waved. Zach smiled and waved back.

They wandered back to their motel to clean up for dinner. Georgie’s Beachside Grill had an amazing view of ocean and an extensive kid’s menu.

~*~

They headed out early Saturday morning. Cody fell back to sleep almost as soon as they were on the road. They waited for Cody to stir before looking for a good place to stop for breakfast. They found a diner that made chocolate chip pancakes for Cody and Zach ordered sandwiches to put in the cooler so they wouldn’t have to stop for lunch.

They spent the night at Red Bluff, CA. Zach snagged some brochures from the motel office and Cody agreed that both the Gaumer's Mining and Mineral Museum and the Tehama County Museum sounded fun. They had dinner at Tremont Café and retired early.

The remainder of the drive back to Valencia was bittersweet. Despite everything that had happened with Jeanne, Zach had fun. He’d enjoyed spending time with Shaun, and taking Cody to the zoo and the aquarium. But a return to real life meant going back to work at the art store, thinking about the up-coming semester at CalArts for him and first grade for Cody, Shaun’s deadlines for his new book.

And telling Cody that he and Shaun were going to be his dads for real.

“Can I go see Jane?” Cody said before they’d pulled into their parking spot.

“When we’ve unloaded the car,” Zach said.

“I want to show her my dragon.”

“I’m sure she’ll be very impressed,” Shaun said.

“Yes,” Cody agreed.

Zach had to hide a smile.

“Can we have pizza for supper?”

“We’ll see,” Zach said.

Cody sighed. “That means no.”

“It means we’ll see.”

They’d barely gotten out of the car when Jane showed up with her mom in tow. “She saw you pull in,” Amy said apologetically.

Cody was already telling Jane about their vacation, showing her the dragon he’d built, the stuffed baby elephant, and other items they’d picked up at various sites. He gave her one of the colored stones they’d gotten at the Mining Museum and Jane turned it over in her fingers.

“Why don’t I get them out of your hair for a few minutes,” Amy offered.

Zach and Shaun watched Cody and Jane run off ahead of Amy. When they were out of sight, Zach said, “He’s gonna be ours.”

“He’s already ours,” Shaun said.

Zach had to kiss him right there in the parking lot.

They unloaded the car, split unpacking and laundry duties, and cleaned the surf boards. Amy called to suggest a pizza party. Zach and Shaun shared a knowing look, but accepted so they didn’t have to cook their first night back. After eating, they told her about their vacation, and about Jeanne. When Cody crashed, Zach carried him back to their apartment and they tucked him into bed. Shaun turned on the nightlight and left Cody’s door cracked so they could hear him if he woke in the night.

Zach leaned against the closed door in the room that he shared with Shaun. One good thing about being home was they didn’t have to share a room or a bed with Cody. Shaun gave Zach a look as Zach prowled across the room to him.

“Welcome home,” Zach said.

The End

**Author's Note:**

> As you might imagine, I did quite a bit of research for this fic, though I ended up using only a small portion of it in the story.
> 
> 1\. I was aware of the car games I used in the story, but I took their ‘official’ names from [10 Best Car Games for Kids](http://www.minitime.com/trip-tips/10-Best-Car-Games-for-Kids-article) (minitime.com).
> 
>  
> 
> 2\. Ham and Nutella sandwiches are a thing. My niece loves them, so I stole the idea for Cody. I shudder to imagine the taste.
> 
>  
> 
> 3\. If you (like me) haven’t been to Redding CA, there really is a [Mythic Creatures: Dragons, Unicorns & Mermaids](https://www.turtlebay.org/events/2017/5/21/mythic-creatures) exhibit at the Turtle Bay Museum, but it’s running this summer (May 20 – October 1, 2017) rather than back in 2008. I used it anyway ‘cause I thought it sounded like fun.
> 
>  
> 
> _Have you ever wondered where these fantastic beings come from? This immersive, hands-on exhibition from the American Museum of Natural History explores the amazing origins of our favorite beasts of the land, air, and water through lifelike models, touchable fossils, real objects, and personal accounts from around the world. From narwhals to unicorns and manatees to mermaids, discover the physical and cultural connections between the real and mythical worlds. Oh, and you can build your own dragon. Just don't let it loose in the museum!_
> 
>  
> 
> (Find more stuff to do in Redding at [Visit Redding](http://www.visitredding.com/).)
> 
>  
> 
> 4\. More parks with playgrounds in Portland, OR can be found at [Travel Portland](https://www.travelportland.com/article/parks-with-playgrounds/).
> 
>  
> 
> 5\. Wanna know more about surfing in Oregan? Check out [The Best Oregon Coast Beaches for Surfing](https://moon.com/2014/07/the-best-oregon-coast-beaches-for-surfing/) (moon.com).
> 
>  
> 
> 6\. Find out more about Cannon Beach at [Welcome to Oregon’s Cannon Beach](http://www.cannonbeach.org/).
> 
>  
> 
> 7\. Find out more about the [Oregon Zoo](http://www.oregonzoo.org/)! I don’t know exactly when Samudra was born, but I’m pretending that it was early enough for them to see her. (Here’s the PDF [map of the zoo](http://www.oregonzoo.org/sites/default/files/downloads/oregon-zoo-map-summer-2017-ENG.pdf).)
> 
>  
> 
> 8\. Find out more about Seaside, OR at [Seaside Oregon](http://www.seasideor.com/).
> 
>  
> 
> 9\. Find out more about Newport, OR at [Discover Newport](http://discovernewport.com).
> 
>  
> 
> 10\. Find other things to do in Red Bluff, CA in the Visitors section of the [Red Bluff - Tehama County Chamber of Commerce](https://redbluffchamber.com/index.php?page=visitorplacesofinterest).


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